Fragile Dreams
by Wafflegirl0304
Summary: They're trapped in a haunted school with no means of escape. The clock is ticking, time is running out. They must find the notes and complete the puzzle before its too late. Or they will all perish together.
1. Prologue

**OKAY! Well I know I really honestly truly desperately have to update Unreal like now since I know you guys are all dying to find out. Having slight writer's block for that, so in the meantime HERE'S A NEW STORY! :D I was thinking of making it kinda interactive, as in at the end of each chapter after this one, you guys get to choose what happens next to the characters! BOOYEAH! What do you guys think? Anyway I hope you enjoy. This is just like an introduction, sorry if its kinda rushed but I need to get this up by tonight and I'm really tired so I gotta GO! LIKE NOW! K thx bye! Please review! :)**

_~Omniscient~_

The morning air is cool and crisp. A cool breeze passes the rural area, stirring up the fallen leaves on the ground into tiny whirlwinds. The sky is a light shade of blue, contrasting from the warm colours of the almost bare trees.

A small group of teenagers stroll towards a large building. The first one's hands are tucked into his jacket pockets, eyes focused elsewhere. His hair is messily teased up into chocolate brown spikes that stick heavenward. The books in his crimson backpack clunk and move with every reluctant step he takes.

_His name being Kai._

The second one is slightly ahead of the group. He walks backwards, an enthusiastic grin pasted onto his face, wide emerald orbs gleaming with amusement. His cerulean sling bag hits his hips with each movement and words spew from his mouth, acting as white noise in the seemingly quiet atmosphere.

_His name's Jay._

The third one hugs a worn book tightly to his chest, its cover hard against the snow white, soft fabric of his hoodie. A light grey bag hangs off his shoulders, his azure eyes are fixated on his blue-clothed brother ahead of him, listening with slightly feigned interest.

_This one's called Zane._

The next one has his arms folded firmly across his chest as he walks, coffee-brown gaze resting on the large approaching building. The bag hanging from one hand is a dark shade of grey-beige, not much of a difference from his black jacket and dark jeans.

_His name is Cole._

The last boy's hair is blonde and his wavy bangs hood his eyes as he stares at Jay, interest roused. His amethyst eyes twinkle with contentment as he is lost in his brother's rant, mind probably on other things. The textbook in his right hand nearly slips from his grasp as he accidentally trips on some gravel on the ground and struggles to maintain his balance. The sweatshirt that adorns his body is a dark green, similar to the book bag held over his shoulder.

_This is Lloyd._

The most petite member of the group sighs at the green-clad boy's discombobulation. She shakes her head, making her short ebony hair styled into a bob cut sway gently from side to side. Her bare arms hang loosely by her sides, and she wears a ruby Chinese-styled top with red knee-length pants.

_She's called Nya._

"I still can't believe we have to go to this school," Kai mumbles grumpily. "I mean, we're freakin' ninja for goodness sake! At least send us to a decent school!"

"Oh come on Kai, it won't be that bad," Nya says, trying to persuade her older brother. "I'm sure we'll make lots of new friends."

"I am not very good around others," Zane notes softly. "Will I be able to fit in?"

Jay chuckles, his laughter warm and friendly. "Sure you will! I mean, as long as you don't go running around proclaiming that you're a nindroid, your personality will probably get you all the girls and stuff," he says cheerily.

Cole raises his hand to his face and presses it onto its centre in mild irritation. He doesn't understand why Jay can be so optimistic sometimes. _Even going to a new school doesn't affect him much,_ Cole thinks as he looks up at the school building for the seventh time.

The whole three buildings that make up the school are huge and block-shaped. Arranged in an inverted V, the blocks at the sides are smaller while the middle block is the widest and tallest. The walls are all dirty grey. Across the top of the front area of the school, it reads Heolster University in maroon capital letters. At the end of the school name, there is a less faded spot in the shape of a crest, giving the impression that the school crest has been removed.

_Weird_, Cole thinks as his eyes examine the rest of the school. Blue-tinted reflective glass windows dot most of the wall underneath the large text, along with on the other two blocks. The only things the raven-haired boy cannot see much of are doors and people.

People...

A chilling breeze sweeps past, and it seems Cole is the only one feeling it. He grips his arms and hugs himself tighter, heart beginning to beat faster at the thought of what could happen in this school.

"Besides, it's only for a year," Jay reasons as he stops directly in front of the school gate. "Then we're free."

"I hope you're right," Cole mutters. "But there's something really weird about this...don't you get this creeped-out feeling?"

"I sense danger here as well," Zane states seriously. "We should not go in."

"Wh-hat other choice do we have?" Lloyd asks, fumbling over his words a bit. The fear is evident on his face but he chooses not to show it. "Let's get the first day of school over with."

_~Kai~_

I push the doors open and we step into the building. The first thing that hits me is the lights. They flicker like dying fireflies, as if struggling to stay lit. Eerie shadows line the hallway we now stand in, and the sight of...well, this whole place, just makes me shiver. The walls are a regular shade of cream, with the usual doors in them, notice boards and lockers pressed against them.

A creaky bang reverberates against the walls through the school as the red door behind us slams shut. Fear grips my heart, but I make sure to keep my cool. Jay and Lloyd look freaked, Zane seems to be deep in thought, Cole is a bit closer to the group than he was just now, and Nya simply presses her body against mine and Jay's.

No way are we studying here for the next 11 and a half months.

My hand slips down and curls its fingers around Nya's. "Come on guys, we're leaving. Now. No questions asked."

"For once, I agree with Kai," Jay squeaks as he does the same with Nya. I feel his nerves through my sister; how weird. "This place is creepy!"

Cole walks cautiously towards the door, looking as if it might eat him. He shakily grabs the door handle and pushes, pulls and shakes the door, trying to get it open. "Okay stand back guys," he tells us and his body begins to glow a shiny orange and brown colour.

The tattered and peeling doors rattle violently, but they don't come off.

This is bad.

**So, tell me what you thought of it, and about choosing what happens next! :) Thanks for reading guys, hope you enjoyed, and stay tuned for the next chapter his this/Unreal! :D I know I sound hyper...I dunno why xD **


	2. Food and Nutrition Is Important

**Okay hey again guys! Actually you can only start choosing the ends starting from this chapter. Sorry if I disappointed any of you :/ Anyway, enjoy! Kinda creepy, but nobody cares! Review!**

_~Jay~_

Through the glass of a blue-tinted window, we watch as the skies suddenly turn from their peaceful shade of cerulean to an inky purple and black mix, as if its late at night rather than 7 in the morning.

I know what I said about being positive and cheery and all, but this...this is just freaky.

"M-Maybe we should try walking through the school and see if we can find somebody?" Cole suggests. "But we stay as a group. Nobody is to wander off. Ever."

"Got it," Lloyd breathes. Nya's right arm snakes around my left, and her body is extremely tense. I give her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Our footsteps resound in the empty hallway. Now that it's darker, it's kinda hard to see, and we don't have flashlights. I think about telling Kai or Zane to maybe give us some light, but I hesitate, scared of what might hear me...

The school is absolutely silent except for us. No students, no teachers, no nothing. Just dust, obscurities, and nerves.

Something white and thin catches my eye, and I stop in my tracks. "Jay? What's wrong?" Cole inquires, his tone laced with worry.

My gaze falls on the sheet of notebook paper sloppily taped to a maroon-coloured locker door. Lower than my eye level, I reach down and rip it off with ease.

A huge capital letter G is scribbled on the back of the paper with thick black marker. I gulp and hold up the paper, showing the others. "Wh-What could this mean?"

"It could mean anything," Kai says. "Rubbish or something important."

"I think we should keep it, in case," Lloyd shivers. "Yeah..."

I study the paper a bit longer, and notice small writing at the bottom. "Look guys, there's an arrow on the paper pointing to the right."

We all look to the right to see a red door. At the top a sign states, "Class 7B: Food and Nutrition,"

"Th-This was supposed to be my first period for today," Kai says slowly. His eyes reflect fear as he reaches forward and turns the doorknob before pushing the door open.

As we file inside, a classroom with pictures of food pyramids, fruits, vegetables and other things tacked on the wall greet us. The thing is, there are no tables or chairs. The room is completely empty, save for a shadowy wooden teacher's desk in the front.

Again, the door slams behind us. My eyes scan the area for any ways of escape.

Because I know that door isn't opening any time soon.

We walk towards the middle of the room. The tension in the air makes me want to explode. We're all shaking pretty badly.

Except for maybe Kai. Don't ask why.

"Hey! If there's anybody here, it would make our lives easier if you just came out and face us!" he yells boldly, dark eyes flashing with slight caution.

Lloyd nudges Kai. "Are you trying to get us killed!?" he whispers.

**_"No talking in class!" _**a male's voice echoes in the small room, making us all jump. Nya's grip on me tightens, and I wish I had somebody to hold too. My heart thumps wildly in my chest and I can't breathe properly.

I look over at Kai, whose teeth are clenched and body is unbelievably tense. His petrified stare is fixated on the dark corner, and I follow it to see...

...oh crap.

His face hidden by the shadows, only his body is visible. But it isn't a pretty sight, at all. The guy's skin is deathly pale and the lightest shade of green, and he's so skinny that you can see nearly every bone in his limbs. A plain white shirt and shorts hang loosely off his body, but he stands tall behind the teacher's desk.

"Wh-Who the heck are you!?" I blurt out, panic overwhelming me for a second. Everyone's too scared to even glare at me, because all they can do is look at him in pure shock and horror.

He steps out of the darkness, allowing us to see his head. His hair is ruffled and sheen grey, and his eyes are just black hollow holes.

It takes all of my willpower not to burst out screaming hysterically. I think my chest is going to detonate.

**_"I am Mr. Howard!"_** he shouts, his voice loud and shrill. **_"And I will be your teacher for today! You have all disappointed me by being late and disobeying orders!"_**

He pulls out a long sword that looks kinda like a pen.

**_"And for that, you must DIE!"_**

"Guys, you gotta leave!" Kai screams, pulling his sword out from inside his backpack. "I'll handle this nutjob!"

"No way!" Nya calls back desperately. "We can't leave you here alone!"

**_"This is his lesson, and he will pay!"_** Mr. Howard shrieks, brandishing the sword and coming closer.

"RUN!" Kai urges.

_What do we do now!?_

**Will Kai fight Mr. Howard alone or should his friends stay with him? The fates of our favourite fire ninja and a few others rests in your hands! Vote in the reviews or PM me! Just write either 1 or 2 in your review/PM.**

**1. Kai fights Mr. Howard alone**

**2. The team stays and helps him**


	3. No

_~Kai~_

"No,"

I whirl in Cole's direction, nearly tripping. "What!?"

He returns the stare with equal intensity. "We aren't leaving you alone with him. What kind of people would we be?" Cole says and pulls out his scythe.

"No way dude! This guy only wants me! He'll kill you all if you stay!" I yell.

We watch in mute horror as Mr. Howard swings his pen-sword in a figure eight. For an under malnourished dude, he can sure move fast. The drawers in the teacher's desk and the cupboard doors fling open.

"Well, that's just one risk we're gonna have to take." Cole mutters.

"Eww!" Jay exclaims in unconcealed disgust. Several mutant fruits crawl towards us at top speed. My gaze focuses on a pale, rotting apple skittering towards my feet, baring its...teeth? What the hell?

With one quick motion I bat the decaying thing away from me using my heated sword. Those things might be more dangerous than they look.

"Kai, move!" Nya's voice thinly cuts through the air towards me and I immediately throw myself towards the left. The swift force of Mr. Howard's sword makes the air near me ripple dangerously. I glance at him, seeing those hollow eyes of his. My hand tightens around the handle of the sword, its heat intensifying.

"What do you want from me?" I yell irritably and flip over to the right as the sword slices downward, its blade embedded in the floor. Mr. Howard laughs, the sharp and shrill sound makes my ears want to bleed.

**_"Maybe an overdue assignment?" _**he grins maniacally at me, yanking the sword out and staggering towards me. I jump to my feet and bolt away from him, knocking away the mutant apples. They don't seem to affect Mr. Howard though, as he just walks right through them.

He wouldn't go through all this just for homework.

I rub sweat from my brow with my hoodie sleeve. Mr. Howard cackles wickedly and brandishes the sword at me. In defense I raise my own and push it against his, the golden flaming blade clanging against the dark blue and silver one. Why is he targeting me? I didn't suggest to go to this freaky school!

"Aack!" Lloyd cries, shaking his leg furiously. A small green object is latched onto his leg. "It bit me!"

I grit my teeth and look forward into the bony man's hollow sockets, where his eyes used to be. His resemblance to a skeleton is sickening. Like a science experiment gone wrong...

"You know, I don't usually disobey my teachers..." I mutter. "But you aren't my teacher. And I wish you would die."

**_"Same to you!" _**he screeches merrily and faster than I can react, he thrusts the sword towards my chest. I jerk to the side violently but the sword grazes my side, drawing blood.

"BACK OFF, SKELETON!" Jay's triumphant yell comes from the side as he tackles the skeleton man, slamming his nunchucks hard onto his thin upper body. Mr. Howard shrieks and falls backward, and I swear the glass windows behind me crack.

Thinking quickly, I snatch my fallen sword off the ground and stab it into Mr. Howard's bony chest. Almost instantaneously, he disintegrates into black dust, leaving a weird pattern on the floor with it.

The letter G.

"Kai, are you alright?" Cole's concerned voice sounds in my ears. Disoriented, I shakily rise to my feet, swallowing hard.

"Yeah..."

My gaze meets our leader's, his wide brown eyes filled with slight doggedness. "If you're okay, we have to keep moving."

Behind him, Lloyd points to the letter G. "Look, that's probably a clue or something."

"Or a coincidence," Nya breathes.

I stand up and look to Jay, whose emerald eyes are wide with interest. He examines the black dust. "Reminds me of coal..."

"What?" Cole blinks.

"Coal. As in C-O-A-L."

"Oh."

"Come on guys, let's get out of here. We can talk about names later." Lloyd says gruffly and exits the room with Zane and Nya close behind him. Heart thumping away in my ribcage, I shoot one last glance at the black dust and the blue-silver pen sword lying beside it before following Jay out of the room.

"Kai, behind you!"

Jay forcefully pushes me down and a horrified yelp emanates from Nya's throat as the pen sword slices through the air, straight into his chest. My heart nearly stops and I watch tensely as his jade green irises shrink, exposing the milky whites of his eyes, lips parted in a mute scream. Blood spurts from the stab onto my hoodie and I feel my eyes sting with tears.

He died _twice_ for me, and I can't ever repay him.

"Jay!" Cole cries frantically. The lightning ninja shakily raises his hands towards the sword sticking out of his chest, the blood running down and over his pale skin. He glances down at me, and chuckles weakly. He reaches down into his pocket, pulls out the crumpled notebook paper and drops it, his blood staining the white paper. It lands gracefully right in front of my eyes.

A weak smile grazes his lips.

"You're welcome,"

Zane quickly catches Jay as he falls backward, eyes drifting shut, never to be opened again. As soon as they make contact, Jay's body disintegrates along with the sword, only this time he leaves pure white dust.

A huge breath escapes my lungs. I grasp the piece of paper, hands trembling. "No," I whisper. The smell of metal taints the air. "No, no, no,"

One down.

_~Lloyd~_

I really did not see that coming.

We pace through the shadowy halls glumly. A strange numbness seems to have carved its way into my heart. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one though.

Shoulda left sooner.

I use my sleeve to rub a tear away from my eye. There's no use crying over Jay, what's done is done, as Uncle always said.

Behind me, Cole is trying to comfort Nya, his words soft but shaky. And behind them is Zane trying to comfort Kai.

I clench my fists. We failed our first mission: getting out alive. Jay's dead and gone. I tell myself, maybe it's just an illusion. He can't really be dead. He's the ninja of lightning...

The late ninja of lightning...

I drive a fist into the thing nearest to me, hurt and enraged. Pain throttles my whole forearm. It turns out to be another grey wall. A stupid. Grey. Wall.

Cole's hand rests on my shoulder. "You alright?" he queries quietly.

I shake my head. "No," I mumble, the same word Kai uttered only a few minutes ago. "I-I'm not,"

"Look Lloyd," Cole sighs, and I can tell he's on the edge of tears himself. "We have to keep moving, alright? The longer we delay the higher the chances of us never escaping here,"

"How can I move on," I turn to glare at him, "when one of my brothers has just been brutally murdered before my eyes?"

Our leader can't say anything, but I can.

"He was my brother," I murmur, tears rolling down my cheeks.

"He was mine too," Cole replies, scrunching up his thick eyebrows. I can see how hard he's trying not to just break down in front of me. Somehow realizing this fact makes me want to punch the wall again.

"At least you weren't the one who caused it," Kai whispers from the back, head down, the reddish piece of paper clutched in his vice-like grip. "It's all my fault,"

"Nobody is to blame except for that strange man," Zane tells him. "Do not blame yourself."

Kai nearly tears the notebook paper. "I could have—_should have_ done something!" he shouts, rubbing his eyes. "I coulda pushed him down, pulled the door closed, done _something_! But _no_! I just had to lie there like an _idiot_!"

I feel my heart being yanked apart. Oh gosh. This is too hard.

Shoulda.

So many possibilities and not enough life.

"Kai, there's no use lamenting about the past," Cole states dryly. "Remember what Sensei said? We can't change the past, but there's always the future. We move now, less chance of somebody else dying on us."

"But...but Cole..." Kai glances behind him at the dark corner we turned away from the classroom. Tears stream from his eyes. A moment passes before he sighs. "You guys shouldn't have stayed,"

"**Enough**!" Cole yells, infuriated. "Enough "shouldn't have"'s! Jay is not coming back, and there isn't anything we can do about it!"

The quiet sound of Nya sniffing, Cole's heavy breathing, Kai crushing the paper and my blood beating vigourously in my ears fills the air. I look back and forth between Kai and Cole before the fire ninja finally nods.

"You're right Cole. I'm sorry,"

"...Me too."

"Right then. Let's carry on,"

We continue through the school, arriving in an open area with a few benches and things. The sky above us is cloudless and pitch black, the only light coming from two oddly brightly illuminated street lights. I make out the faded words, "Canteen", on the opposite wall. A twisted, dead tree stands in the middle of the field, a small white piece of notebook paper tacked to one of its branches.

I point upward. "Look, another note,"

"I'm scared of what it may hold," Nya shivers.

Zane throws his shuriken heavenward and retrieves it with skill. His eyes skim over the note. "The letter I. Class 8J, Physics,"

"That's my class," Cole says breathlessly. Uh oh.

We exchange nervous glances. "I guess we do not have a choice," Zane says finally.

"R-Right," Cole stammers, but I know he's pretty freaked. I mean, how would you feel if you knew you were next in line to get slaughtered in a haunted school?

As if on cue, a strong gust of wind passes and the paper flies out of Zane's hand. My gaze follows it, and it hits something.

Then that something's eyes open.

A girl no taller than Cole's scythe, with hair darker than the sky above. Her hair is unevenly snipped, and it just touches her shoulder blades. A frilly purple dress hangs on her skinny body, the hems torn and the fabric bloodied.

She looks up at me, and my heart takes a dive when I notice her eyes. One eye is perfectly normal while the other is a big purple button.

Brick.

She mutely picks the piece of paper off her body. From beside me, the guys gasp in shock.

She smiles.

**_"Have you come to play?"_**

Those five words are like ice sliding down my back. Speechless, I subconsciously take a step back. My heart throbs against my ribcage so forcefully I think I'm going to explode.

As Jay would put it, we are so hooped...

"Run," Cole says, and we sprint through the doors into the canteen. Running past the stalls, cats are perched on the counters, hissing menacingly.

**_"Play with me..."_**

Her eerie voice makes me shudder violently and I increase my pace, not daring to look back. Through the canteen we go and back into the main school. Two doors approach us at inhuman speed.

"Which one!?" Kai yells.

"I don't know, you choose!" I scream desperately.

**YES CHOOSE MY READERS! :D**

**1. Go to Class 8J**

**2. Go to Class 7T**

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! I love you! XD How was this chapter? I think I kinda rushed it but...oh well. I'm sorry I had to kill Jay. D:**


	4. Dolls

**I thought this was longer. Oh well.**

**love you guys, continue to be awesome and hope you enjoy!**

_~Cole~_

Dangdangdangdangdangdangdang.

We are screwed.

I am gonna die. Either by the laws of physics, or by the hands of a small girl.

We tear through the door of class 7T, Zane slamming it shut as he passes through. The thumping against the door shakes his metallic body so forcefully I can hear his gears rattle.

He looks up to me with wild ice blue eyes. "I—could use a little help," I nod and take his place at the door. I feel that girl's small fists pound on the door, each one making the wood tremble violently.

_**"Open...open..."**_ she chants, sounding as if she's in the room. I shiver and glance at the guys and Nya. "Wh-What do we do?"

"We need to...get the hell outta here. There has to be...another exit other than...the main door," Lloyd said, panting.

I skim across the classroom briefly: A few tables are overturned, a chair's lost its leg, and the cupboards are missing their doors. The numbers on the whiteboard tell me this is an arithmetic lesson. A calculator rests to the right of my foot, the screen dead. Strange dark blue liquid leaks from the ceiling, staining the whitewashed walls. Dolls with black frazzled hair, blue button-eyes and over exaggerated smiles stitched across their lavender skin were scattered around the room.

What?

Kai approaches the window, which is pitch black. Touching it, he pulls his hand back slowly, wide eyes examining his fingertips. "They burn you," he whispers, glancing back to us.

"Try finding a secret passage," I mutters, forcing the door closed as a vigourous kick comes from the other side, the edge of the door leaving its frame in a swift motion I quickly reverse. The girl's giggles made me shudder.

_**"Come on...don't you like me? Don't ignore me..."**_ Holy shiz that is creepy. I shove my body hard against the door. "Guys, hurry up!"

The door gives way and I am literally thrown against the wall, the door far too close for comfort. The girl's hysterical cackles echo through the room and Lloyd groans effusively. I push the door back out so I can breathe a little easier. Her head turns nearly 360 degrees to face me, the cracking noise making me shiver. My eyes widen as they take in her image, the big purple button where her left eye should be, dried blood creating a vertical line down her ghastly paper white cheek. Her other deep violet eye gleams with artifice and joy. _**"I fouuuuund you!"**_ she whispers, a grin stretching across her face so widely it looks painful. My heart plunges, but I immediately scale the nearest cupboard, managing to narrowly escape her grasp.

Zane flings a shuriken at our little "friend" and it embeds itself into her shoulder. She shrieks in pain and rips it out, but instead of blood flowing from the wound, white fluff spills out of the gash. My face contorts into this heavily disgusted expression. This is messed up. Messed up. As I jump from the cupboard onto a desk, I kick it down with my legs and it slams onto her body. Another ear-piercing wail makes my ears want to bleed. The chaos halts for a couple seconds as everyone stares at the girl crushed underneath the cupboard, her pale arms outstretched. Is she dead? I wonder before realizing what everyone's really looking at.

A body...a dead body. Sprawled over to the side of Doll-Girl is a schoolboy, notably a buff one. No bloodstains on him, but the purplish tinge on his neck tells me all I need to know. I swallow and get down from the desktop, eyes not leaving the scene of spilled teddy bear insides and limbs.

Nothing happens.

_**"She just wanted to play,"**_ a voice whispers from behind me. I nearly die right there and right then before I turn my head to stare straight into the deep sapphire, stupid button eyes of a purple doll. _**"You rejected her,"**_

_**"You rejected her, you rejected her, you rejected her you rejected her yourejectedheryouREJECTEDHER!"**_

The dolls' chanting rises to an angry chorus and soon all I hear is my own screaming burning through my throat.

"Make it stop!" I cry as their voices mash together, choppy and demonic, racking my brain and the images of a blonde-haired school girl clutching the doll flash before me. I can't rise out of the flames of desperation, they're pulling me under, pulling me under like currents in a river.

Suddenly everything seems to stop. I'm in a hunched over position, hands clutching my ears so tightly I swear they're red and sweaty. I don't dare to open my eyes yet, but after a few scary seconds, I force my left eye open.

The dolls have vanished, Doll-Girl is gone, everything's too quiet. The room is still dark. I still feel the tension crawling down my spine like icy fingers caressing my back. The guys are looking at me, and I notice that their eyes are wide with hysteria. Rimmed with eyebags. Mouths move but no sound comes out. I don't hear anythi—

Oh hell—this can't be happening.

My stomach twists in the most horrid way possible as I weakly tilt my head down to look at myself. Dark purple dress pants, torn at the hems and the knees. A black long-sleeved shirt with a bloody amaranthine vest and black tie. My hands are pale...pale lavender. I touch my right eye. _A big, fat button._ I return my stupefied gaze to my brothers, they're trying to get me to respond, waving hands and I'm quite sure Kai is shouting—but I can't hear. This is why she was so easy to defeat. She couldn't hear us. She made herself vulnerable. So why have I turned into some genderbend version of her? I hold up a hand towards my team, watching the confusion unfold across their faces. I try to speak, but I don't feel my vocal chords move. From the others' still puzzled expressions, I can tell I'm not saying a thing. With trembling hands, I carve out words on the floor(how the hell I can I'll never know):

_I cant hear I cant speak_

And I don't know why but tears burn under my eyelids, falling from my eyes like a broken string of pearls.

_~Zane~_

"What do you **mean**, you can't hear?" Kai's sudden rage grabs the reins of his voice, the energy bursting out at our leader. I cannot believe this...Cole has been physically altered by the dolls, though I cannot fathom the reason. I cast a wary glance over at Kai. "The dolls seem to have placed a spell on him, limiting his human capabilities and changing his appearance."

My fiery brother's head jerks in my direction, his hazel eyes ablaze with frustration, fear and upset all at once. "Argh, this is so STUPID! We just had to get stuck in this stupid school and now Jay's dead and Cole's deaf and freaky-looking and...nothing is working." His yell fades to a mutter, and I notice the glimmer in his eyes. I frown but can't say much to console him. Kai is right—our situation is bad. One brother gone and the other handicapped.

I raise my eyes to see Lloyd helping Cole onto his feet, though the green ninja does not look too bold. I notice how terribly blanched his face appears and how bloodshot his once vibrant eyes are, though now they're the same shade as our leader's skin. Next I turn my attention to Nya, whose expression is unreadable, her eyes pink and puffy from crying. She fingers something in the pocket of her pants. I suppress a sigh. Cole gives me the smallest of stares, his left eye still intact.

It is odd that I am not feeling as strongly as the others. Though I know this is because I am a nindroid, I feel strange, as if I am betraying my family by not grieving. I have not shed tears for a long while, but I do not wish to either. I pull out the crumpled piece of paper from my jacket pocket. The letter I laughs at me from its place on the sheet. Before that was the letter G. I cannot make any connection yet. We require more clues. Casting one last glance at the black ash under the fallen cupboard, I motion for the others to follow and we leave the classroom of 7T. We skip classroom 8J without another moment's thought.

The school hallways remain deserted, gloomy and dilapidated. At the front of the group, I trudge on with Nya by my side. Cole and Lloyd walk behind us, the former's hand clinging to the other's emerald sweatshirt. Kai walks behind everyone, and I hear him drag his feet along the dusty tiles. The dread in the air seems to twist my organs. The school seems more of a place of suffering rather than fright now. A haunted house I'd thought it to be previously, but now it was just a slaughterhouse for us ninja.

And aren't haunted houses meant to be fun?

My fingertips graze the edges of my shuriken, slid into my pocket. The other is stuffed into my bag. My possessions shift with each step. I do hope we will be able to escape soon. I fear we will not be able to hold out much longer. We cannot lose somebody else. We arrive back at the canteen, still dark and unlit. I glance briefly at the black cats situated on the stalls' counters, their slit eyes pale yellow and glowing in the darkness. I shiver and look away.

"I think there may be a clue in this area," I intone quietly, "The canteen is relatively small, so we should be fine if we split into two groups. I will go with Cole. Kai, I trust you to keep Lloyd and Nya close."

Kai hesitates before nodding curtly. We disperse in silence. I take Cole's hand and he looks at me with the oddest of stares, but I simply pull him along. We scour under the tables and around the drinks stall. Cole's hand is as cold as mine, his fingers are tense and I feel just how afraid he is. I wonder how afraid I actually would be if I were human.

After throwing a few cats disapproving glances, Cole tugs at my hand and points to the ceiling, his eye impossibly wide. I follow his gaze and spot the splat of white on the ceiling that looks suspiciously like white glue. In the middle, a black arrow points to the left.

I turn and see a small boy standing before us, holding a piece of paper between his fingers. His short blonde hair is dirty and tousled under a black cap, and a oversized grey hoodie hugs his body. I notice a deep red stain on the dark fabric—as if he had been shot in the chest. The blood is not spread out but comes in small drops on his hoodie.

As his gaze meets mine, he drops the paper, but does not look surprised in the least. His orange eyes scream four words.

_**Come and get me.**_

Then he runs around the corner out of the canteen, and I am staring at Cole, heart throbbing, indecision racking my mind.

I pick up the piece of paper. A cursive letter T is neatly drawn with pink marker. Now that is different. I have a feeling that if we do not take him up on this dare, something horrible is going to happen. However, he could be lying to us. Trying to make us afraid. You never know what could happen. Besides, we have the clue.

_What are we to do?_

**1. Follow the kid**

**2. Proceed with the journey**

**I'll admit I kinda scared myself writing this. **


End file.
